The Ties that Bond
by SimplyLauro
Summary: (LM AU fic) When the disease kills Mara during the Vong invasion, Luke is offered a chance to rewind his life and rewrite the future the way it should be. Would you go back?
1. Chapter One

In honor of the long awaited release of Star Wars on DVD, this is my new tribute--Extended Universe style. Keep in mind this is VERY AU. It does not happen in the real storyline. This is a simple story about Luke and Mara, about choices, and about the bond they've always had. So here I ask you this one question; if you could go back and reshape the outcome of your life, never knowing how exactly it would turn out…would you?

Please leave your feedback as I do read and use it in my works. It's very much appreciated and quite helpful. Borrowed heavily and directly from Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire for storyline purposes, but I think for the most part you'll find this to be a work of original fan fiction.

The Ties that **Bond**

She was in bed, losing her battle to an unseen enemy even he couldn't fight for her. All of his strength in the Force, all of his luck and experience was of no use here, when it mattered the most. When they'd finally come together, when at last they'd both admitted what they'd hidden for so long…

Mara Jade was dying.

It didn't seem possible. Of anyone he'd ever come across, she was the most vibrant. She was the one who really _lived_ each moment, never dragged down by duties or held up by social practice. Not Mara. She was brash and bold and daring, she had a mind of her own and talent enough in the Force to match him in every way. Even back in the old days, during the Rebellion, Leia had never matched the energy that radiated from Mara. And now it was slipping away, dragging her away from him.

And Luke Skywalker didn't want to go on without her. Even before--even when Callista left--something had propelled him onward. His family, Mara, his responsibilities. And when he'd given up on love and decided to devote himself entirely to the Jedi, that kept him trudging through life. And then…then somehow, Mara had broken through his every last defense--again--and forced him to open his eyes. He couldn't give up on love. He was already in love. With her.

He slid his fingers through hers and closed his eyes, lines of weariness and worry etched in his face. He looked far older than he was, but his life had never been easy, and each new experience had left its own mark.

How was it that he had managed to save his father, and not Mara? He didn't love her any less. How had he managed to destroy a Death Star, and he couldn't fight her internal enemy?

Everyone around him was dying--his students, his friends. He hadn't even been able to properly keep track of his niece and nephews. Where were they now? Fighting? Dead?

"Mara," he whispered brokenly. "I'm so sorry." Vaguely, he was aware that his voice was cracking and he was choking on his words in sorrow and regret. Death had followed at the heels of love again, and hadn't he predicted that.

"I would never have allowed myself to love you if I knew…that…it would cause this," he managed, squeezing her hand. "You're everything to me, Mara."

Had he brought the Vong? They'd just appeared one day out of the mists of the Unknown Region. Rationally he knew he hadn't done anything of the sort, but bad things happened when he fell in love. And for this love, this all-consuming passion and devotion he had for his beautiful, headstrong wife, the entire galaxy was paying.

His head was still bent when Mara's breathing began to slow, and her pulse began to weaken. Were he not always so in tune with her, he might not have noticed the gradual decline. It was the end. Gasping on a dry sob, Luke lifted his gaze to his wife's pale face and wanted nothing more than to die with her. Here, in this moment of peace in the midst of all the fighting, he wanted to sink into oblivion with his beloved and take part in no more battles. He'd waited ten long years to have peace with Mara…suddenly an eternity of peace didn't seen so bad.

As her last labored breaths filled the room with eerie sound, Luke contemplated simply using his saber to do it. Perhaps not the cleanest way, but certainly the quickest. In a detached sort of state he realized how dark and morbid these thoughts were, and then even that detachment disappeared.

His finger slid toward the switch, brushed it--and was stopped. He blinked, tried to move his hand again, and found it firmly held in place. He dragged his eyes up, looking for the source of his paralysis, and found strikingly familiar gray eyes staring at him. Callista.

Dead, he realized belatedly as he took note of the strange, Force-enduced glow around her.

_-Yes, dead,-_ she confirmed through the Force. So it was her that had stopped him. Her face was grim, eyes sad, and she shook her head at the man she'd thought she could love once. _-But it's not your turn yet.-_

Luke felt a wave of despair hit him again, making him nauseous. _-Let me go, Callista. I let you go. I just want to be with Mara now.- _And then he had to ask, since he had this one chance. _-Did you find what you were looking for?-_

Her smile was bittersweet. _-In the end.-_

Then a slight pause, and she added, _-I wasn't supposed to come back, Luke. You know that as well as I do. I should have died years and years ago.-_

-Maybe.- Luke didn't want to admit his blame for their mistake.

_-I was. But I managed to find my way again. And now I'm here to help you find your way--to give you the chance that is denied us all. I couldn't do it alone, but…I found help in Anakin, Obi-Wan and Yoda. I'm here to send you back to fix the mistake that was made long ago, before even I came into your life. I wasn't supposed to be in your life.-_

-What mistake?- Luke asked. There had been so many…

This time, Callista's smile was wry, eyes crinkled in silent mirth. _-The stubbornness of a young farmboy-turned-Jedi, and the headstrong denial of his beautiful assassin.- _Her smile faded, serious once more. _-You should have fallen in love long before you did. Many things are to blame for that. Her outright denial of your bond, your failure to chase her across the galaxy the first time you wanted to, to make her face it. I came between you, and then her fictional romance with Lando. Child-emperors, weapons of unbelievable power, and now the Vong. They're not supposed to be here, either. In a different future that threat was erased. And that's the future I'm giving you a chance to make.-_

Luke stared at her, his old lover, and realized that though she made perfect sense, he didn't understand a single word.

_-What are you talking about?-_

_-Your last chance. Mara's last chance. I'm talking about starting over, doing it all again, giving you another shot. I'm talking about setting things right, making you notice the little things you missed the first time around, making choices you disregarded in the beginning. I'm talking about a chance that is rarely given. A chance that is so precious and dangerous, it's been attempted only this once. Because so many things went wrong, Luke. Don't you see? So many things in your life went wrong.-_

Tears prickled in his eyes. Oh yes, things had gone wrong. So many things. His head dropped again as a tear trickled down his cheek--weeping for lost time, lost friends, lost chances.

_-It's not possible.-_

_-It is,-_ she replied firmly. _-I am granted the power by your father and your old masters. By all the old masters. Luke, I'm offering you the chance to start at the beginning of your relationship with Mara, to fix the things that never should have happened. If you decide to do this, you'll be at an important crossroads--aboard Talon Karrde's ship, where you first come into contact with Mara. You have to recognize your bond to her, acknowledge it. You have to fight for her from the beginning, and never stop fighting. Trust me, Luke, it will be a fight. She'll resist you strongly, especially at the beginning. There were times when you let her go, but don't let her go this time.-_

-I'll never let her go.- His grip on Mara's hand tightened.

_-If I send you back, I can't tell you what the outcome of your new life will be. It may turn out worse than when you started. Multiple paths lie before you, not all good.-_

Luke's eyes turned to Mara's face. _-I have to try.-_ Then, firmer, _-I have to _do._-_

-Then I have one question.- Callista's face was serious and thoughtful. _-Are you willing to do it all again, Luke? Are you ready to go back and reshape the future?-_

There was no hesitation in those brilliant blue eyes.

_-Yes.-_

ten years previous

-unknown space-

Luke Skywalker opened his eyes at the sound of Artoo-Detoo's rapid twittering, feeling oddly off-kilter. His dream had been so real, so _sad_. He'd been losing someone very important to him…_very_ important. There had been this underlying sense of urgency, an terribly important message…was it Leia? Had Luke been in danger of losing his sister?

"Okay, Artoo, I'm awake," he managed groggily. Jedi trances didn't normally result in dreams…unless it was a vision? As his knuckles came into sharp contact with the visor of his flight helmet, he tried to remember why he'd gone into hibernation in the first place. Artoo seemed to have dragged him from his slumber too soon…

"Is anything wrong?" he asked, trying to refocus on reality. The dream had a strong pull on him, but its effect was fading as consciousness returned. That's right--he'd had an entanglement with some Imperials on his way to Jomark to find--he hoped--a Jedi, and was forced to pull a particularly nasty maneuver to escape a fiery end. A particularly nasty maneuver that left him helpless and floating aimlessly in space, with damage far beyond his skill to repair with his limited tools.

Right, and he'd shut down all the X-Wing's systems except what he needed to survive and keep Artoo running, and Artoo was winding a new subspace radio antenna. So why had the droid--

He jerked in surprise at the sight of another ship approaching, fast. Immediately he began powering back up, but it was too little, too late, particularly if the ship was hostile.

Somehow he got the X-Wing to face the ship and began skimming the scopes, though he'd already deduced much of the information they provided with his own eyes. A mid-sized Corellian bulk freighter…no Imperial markings, but that didn't mean anything…

"Yes, I noticed that too," Luke murmured in response to Artoo's question, stretching out with the Force to try and identify the ship's crew--or at least its general alignment. "But a normal bulk freighter might be able to pull that kind of deceleration if it was empty. Why don't you do a quick analysis of the sensor readings, see if you can spot any weapons emplacements."

Luke then glanced over the other instruments--he was about halfway through the startup for the sublight drive and preflight sequence, same for the laser cannon capacitors…and that didn't leave him with a whole lot of options. And then his radio signal lit up, indicating a hailing from the unidentified ship. Bracing himself, he flipped the switch.

"--need assistance? Repeating, unidentified starfighter, this is the freighter _Wild Karrde_. Do you need assistance?"

Ten minutes later, Luke found himself having a rather interesting conversation with a slender, important looking man with short dark hair and pale blue eyes. He'd identified himself as Talon Karrde, but Luke wouldn't have been surprised to learn that wasn't his given name. The conversation was causing his senses to tingle in warning, but all he could do was stay alert for deception.

"You're not really what I expected, somehow," Karrde was commenting. "Though I suppose that's not all that surprising--the vast majority of Jedi lore has been so twisted by myth and ignorance that to get a clear picture is almost impossible."

Luke's senses screamed a warning at him…something was going on, something that had a lot to do with the fact that he couldn't sense the aft sections of the ship.

"You almost sound as if you were expecting to find me here," he said, reaching out with the Force as he assumed a battle stance. Only Karrde was close enough to pose much of a threat, but something was wrong here…

"As a matter of fact," Karrde said, unsurprised at Luke's assessment, "we were. Though I can't actually take any of the credit for that. It was one of my associates, Mara Jade, who led us here." He dipped his head slightly to the right. "She's on the bridge at the moment."

_Mara Jade_…the name was so familiar, but _why?_ He was certain they'd never met before. His dream, maybe? But how could he dream of a stranger?

Karrde had paused, waiting for Luke to glance over at the bridge. Keeping his senses alert, Luke turned to look at this person whose name was so familiar, at this person who'd been able to sense him from lightyears away when previously only Vader, the Emperor, and Leia had done that. His eyes trailed over the bridge's occupants, then--

A jolt slammed through him at that precise moment, of pure, black hatred. It was as intense as her fiery red hair, as chilling as the cool emerald of her eyes. Ice slid down his spine, rendering him temporarily paralyzed. The sheer power of her hatred for him…

But there was something else…he tried to focus on it, and unbidden, a voice came to him as though from across a great distance.

_-You must recognize your bond to her, acknowledge it.-_

He stretched out, searching, trying to push past the hatred, and discovered that the voice was right. There was a bond there, forming itself as they held each other's gaze, weaving itself like a strand of rope. Silken rope--the more she pulled away, the stronger it got.

"Yes," Karrde said, breaking Luke's concentration on the beautiful woman with eyes like emerald ice, "that's her." His voice was offhanded. "She hides it quite well, actually--though not, I suppose, from a Jedi. It took me several months of careful observation to establish that it was you, and you personally, for whom she had these feelings."

Somehow, Luke found his voice. Her hatred, their bond, had shaken him more than he cared to admit. How was this bond forming? He hadn't initiated it, and _she_ certainly wasn't. What was it? Why did he feel as if he knew her? And why did she hate him so intensely?

"I've never met her before," he managed, feeling as if that was a lie, but unable to find the truth.

"No? A pity." He shrugged. "I was rather hoping you'd be able to tell me why she feels this way. Ah, well." He stood with easy grace. "I suppose then, there's nothing more for us to talk about for the moment…and let me say in advance that I'm very sorry it has to be this way."

Already, Luke's hand was darting for his lightsaber, but he'd barely begun the motion when the stunbolt hit him squarely in the back.

He should have been prepared for it, he'd all but known it was coming, but Mara…_Mara…so familiar. How do I know you? What do I feel for you? Mara…_

He faded into unconsciousness, still holding onto that strange knowledge that she was the key to all of this, whatever 'this' was.


	2. Chapter Two

I know I took a lot of dialogue right out of Zahn's Heir to the Empire last time…this time there will be less of that…this will try to fill in the gaps between the scenes with Luke and Mara. He's going to struggle with knowing her…and not knowing her.

I'm glad you all enjoyed the first part! **BIG thanks to my reviewers: you guys make it all worthwhile!**

Kayladie, thanks so much for your review! I'm glad you liked Mara's deathscene. It's hard to write the deathscene of a well-loved character, especially since she's my favorite! But I wanted to make sure that he had no options left. I am going to redo the whole thing, the way I think the fans--and Timothy Zahn--wanted it to happen. Ten years is crazy, considering the things that happened on Wayland and the way he left the last scene…it should have happened so much sooner. "Eye of the Beholder" was put on a crazy-long hiatus because there were some serious health problems in the family and I was bouncing back and forth across the country, but it should be updated very, very soon--like within a week or two.

Jedi-2B, I'm glad you liked the opener. They're always the most fun for me. I toyed for a long time with whether or not to have Luke remember Mara, their marriage, and her death, but in the end I thought it would be more intriguing to have him clueless. The 'dream' is his only clue, and he can't remember that. I have another idea along these lines for a second story about how Luke and Mara's childhoods are linked…we'll see how this one goes.

Elwen, I know exactly what you mean when you talk about formatting, ect! Sometimes it's just so hard to plow through stories that are one long paragraph, no matter how well they're written. The concept for this story has been bugging me for a little while…I think since I stumbled across the movie **Sliding Doors** (pretty good, I recommend it if you haven't seen it). And finally I decided to take it to my keyboard and just let it flow.

Mirwen, I thought the idea was quite intriguing. It took me forever to come up with a way to make it work. Having Callista offer the chance was a strange attempt and symbolism. I'm hoping to make the choices interesting--connect some of those dots I had when I read through the Expanded Universe, and revise it. One thing I won't change (but maybe add to) is the scene on Wayland in the throne room--that was always one of my favorites.

Luvinna, I hope I live up to your expectations! Keep nagging me and I'll keep writing. )

Sithspawn-13, the beginning is the most important part in my opinion. Like I told Luvinna, keep nagging me and I'll keep writing.

Terri, thank you! And YES! I totally wanted a much more in depth scene about Luke locating Mara in the wreckage of the Katana Battle--and more on her reaction when she wakes up and finds out it was him who found her. And YES--I can't WAIT to do Luke after Mara's knocked out by C'boath's death blast thing. So rest assured, those scenes will be in there and be huge! Nag me!

MaraJadeSkywalkerJedi, thank you! I'll try to keep my updates relatively speedy, but my work schedule changes weekly and I'm about to start grading papers again on top of school…I usually write at night, though, so…keep nagging me and I'll type away!

The Ties that **Bond**

chapter two

He'd drifted in and out of his drug-induced sleep for a long time, vaguely aware that Karrde had drugged him after stunning him and that, for some reason, his Jedi techniques for nullifying toxins weren't helping him. Finally, finally, Luke managed to cling to consciousness and his mind began to clear. Blinking his sun-dazzled eyes, he lifted his head to take in his unfamiliar surroundings.

He was still wearing his flight suit, on a bed, in a small room. It didn't look like any kind of cell he'd ever seen. An open window allowed in a fragrant breeze, but that did little to ease his disquiet. Something was out of place…

The sun was low in the sky, but he couldn't determine yet if it was dusk or dawn, and he caught sight of the leafy top of a forest. A vast forest, not too far from his room, in fact, and--

"Finally awake, are you?"

In his search for the comlink, his eyes caught a flash of brilliant red-gold and he stared in astonishment at the woman he'd glimpsed on the bridge of Karrde's ship. How was it that he couldn't sense her?

A chilly smile crept across her face as he began to realize what was happening to him. "That's right. Welcome back to the world of the mere mortals."

He couldn't sense anything--_anything_--through the Force, and for the first time in a long time, he felt half-blinded and helpless.

"Don't like it, do you?" she was continuing, mockingly. "It's not easy to suddenly lose everything that once made you special, is it?"

Still reeling from shock and feeling the lingering effects of whatever drug he'd been ejected with, Luke carefully eased his legs over the side of the bed and levered himself into a seated position. His muscles tingled in response to the activity and he paused to give his body time to adjust. As he maneuvered himself around, the woman's hand dropped to her lap, and her fingers traced the lines of the formidable looking blaster resting there.

"If the purpose of all this activity is to impress me with your remarkable powers of recuperation," she offered coolly, one red-gold brow arched, "you don't need to bother."

Luke doubted very seriously that there was much that could impress her.

"Nothing so devious," he assured her aloud, struggling not to wheeze as he sucked in air. "The purpose of all this activity is to get me back on my feet." He stared her hard in the eye, hoping to make her pull back, wondering if she'd flinch away from his gaze. To his trepidation, she didn't even twitch. "Don't tell me; let me guess. You're Mara Jade."

"That doesn't impress me either. Karrde already told me he'd mentioned my name to you."

_But even Karrde can't explain our bond…or why you feel so familiar to me. Even when you're stare is colder than a breeze on Hoth._

Wisely, Luke kept those thoughts to himself. Instead, he nodded amiably. "He also told me that you were the one who found my X-Wing. Thank you."

Her eyes flashed. "Save your gratitude," she advised him, every word as sharp as a slap. "As far as I'm concerned, the only question left is whether we turn you over to the Imperials or kill you ourselves."

_Geez, Mara, why don't you tell me how you really feel?_ he thought sarcastically. Before he could even finish the thought, Mara was getting to her feet, the blaster ready in her hand. "On your feet," she ordered, "Karrde wants to see you."

Awkwardly, Luke managed to get off of the bed. His eyes caught a flash of silver and a jolt ran through him at the sight of his lightsaber on her belt. It looked oddly…_right_ hanging there, as if he'd seen a lightsaber at her hip many times. But that was absurd, wasn't it? He was quite sure he'd remember running into her in the past--she wasn't the type that was easily forgotten.

More prevalent…was she a Jedi? And if so, was she powerful enough to smother Luke's abilities? To sever his link with the Force?

"I can't say that either of those options sounds appealing," he commented, trying to sound offhanded. Mara looked almost thoughtful for a moment.

"There's one other one." She took a long step toward him, putting herself within arm's length of him. Without any hesitation, she pointed the blaster directly at his face, eyes cool and detached. "You try to escape…and I kill you right here and now."

A chill went down his spine. Without the Force, he couldn't sense their bond…and this woman truly, deeply hated him. Loathed his very existence. Whatever he'd done to her, it had been devastating. He didn't need the Force to all but feel her bitterness--it rolled off of her in almost palpable waves, crashing into him and effectively holding him in place, staring into her eyes past the barrel of the blaster. Equally paralyzing was what was behind that hatred--a deep and lingering pain, unaffected by the passage of time. What was it? What had he done to her to hurt her this deeply?

And why in all the worlds did he feel such a strong urge to take her in his arms and comfort her?

_Whatever it is that's effecting me is wrecking havoc on my rational thought process,_ he told himself, struggling with his confused reaction to her and her bitter hatred of him.

When he didn't move for an eternity of a moment, Mara slowly dropped the blaster and jerked her head toward the door. "Move," she said simply. "Karrde's waiting."

---

It had been a busy few days, between being suddenly moved into a small storage facility, finding Artoo and managing to get to him, and attempting a risky escape right out from under the nose of an Imperial Star Destroyer--and more formidably, Mara Jade--which had unfortunately resulted in a rather harrowing chase and a nasty little Skipray crash. He'd heard all about the planet's unusual inhabitants from Karrde--the ysalamiri, for example, and their strange ability to push back the Force; or the vornskrs who seemed naturally disposed to thirst for his blood, and though he hadn't liked what he'd heard, he had no choice but to take his chances with the native predators now.

All of that left him here, lying on the ground fifteen or sixteen meters away from the wreckage of two Skiprays, with Imperials poking around the surrounding area and Mara's body pressed tightly against his side. Her arm was flung securely over his shoulders and her blaster's muzzle firmly--and more than a little uncomfortably--shoved into the hinge of his jaw. Her eyes were locked on the Imperials.

He had the oddest sense of déjà vu at the feel of her tucked against him. Less familiar was the blaster pressed against his neck. And more puzzling--Mara wasn't turning him over to the Imperials. Which had him thinking two things; either she had changed her mind about turning him into them, or she was planning on killing him when they were alone. And if the later was in fact the case--it seemed the more likely of the two, considering--then he had one choice: to surrender himself to the Imperials, move out of range of the ysalamiri, and trust a hope that, with the Force behind him once more, he could manage an escape. A risk, but maybe worth a shot.

Mara's arm tightened around his shoulders, and the blaster tip dug a little harder into his skin--with their bodies so close, she must have felt his muscles tense. "Whatever you're thinking of trying, don't." Her breath whispered across his ear, and he had to repress the urge to shiver at the strange sensation. "I can easily claim you were holding me prisoner out here and that I managed to snatch the blaster away from you."

_Set and match. Fine, we'll do it your way,_ he thought.

It wasn't too much longer and the Imperials were gone, but Mara pushed them well out of range of their sensor before stopping to assess their situation. Sharply, she'd explained to him that they were three days from any kind of civilization. And then, quite suddenly their argument about whether Artoo would be making the trip turned much more personal.

"Let me tell you something, Skywalker," she said softly, dangerously, cutting him off. "I've wanted to kill you for a long time. I dreamed about your death every night for most of that first year. Dreamed it, plotted it--I must have run through a thousand scenarios, trying to find exactly the right way to do it. You can call it a cloud on my judgment if you want to; I'm used to it by now. It's the closest thing I've got to a permanent companion."

Luke stared into her emerald green eyes, shaken to the very core of his soul. "What did I do to you?" he whispered hoarsely, his heart aching.

"You destroyed my life," she replied bitterly, spitting out the words as if they carried with them a vile taste. "It's only fair that I destroy yours."

In the corner of his mind, he was aware that he was shaking--physically shaking--from the effect her words were having on him. His voice was weak when he spoke again. "Will killing me bring your old life back?"

"You know better than that," she said, her voice trembling just noticeably. "But it's still something I have to do. For myself and for--"

But she never finished. When he realized she wasn't going to finish, Luke dragged Karrde into it, aware that he could very well be debating for his life. She almost pulled the trigger then and there--but somehow he'd talked her out of it--and managed to save the skins of both himself and Artoo. Fast, half-thought-through reasoning, but it had been enough. For now, he'd convinced her of his worth--and learned a very interesting fact about her--she knew how to wield a lightsaber. Which didn't bode well for him at all.

Somehow he managed to sleep that night. It was hard, considering the fact that the vornskrs, Mara, and the Imperials were out for his blood, but eventually he let his body's needs win out over his mind. And without the aid of the Force to block them out, he found himself swept into a dream.

A dream of Mara. But not the cold, bitter Mara he was with now--she was different somehow. Older, less bitter, more accessible.

They were in a spacious room that he recognized--one in the gym in the Imperial Palace on Coruscant. They both had lightsabers, and with a jolt Luke realized he recognized hers. He should, it had been his once, the one he'd lost along with his right hand on Bespin, his father's lightsaber. His first reaction to that realization was anger, and he almost demanded that she give it back to him--it was all he had of his father--when he noticed something else.

She was smiling at him. Really smiling. Her emerald eyes were no longer icy cold, but warm with mirth. They were both breathing hard, but not because they'd been locked in battle--they'd merely been sparring.

"Giving up already, Jade?" he heard himself say, laughter in his voice.

"You just want to quit while you're ahead, Skywalker," she retorted good-naturedly. He laughed out loud.

"Maybe," he agreed without compunction. "You've gotten better."

"Someone's got to keep you on your toes between visits to the bacta tank."

He winced at her friendly--and oh-so-true--jab. "I seem to recall several bacta dips in your recent past, too, Mara."

She snorted. "Only when I have to pull your unlucky ass out of trouble."

He laughed again and looped an arm around her shoulders, his grin infectious. "Shower, then lunch?" he asked. She made a face at him and shrugged his arm off.

"Do you always think with your stomach, Skywalker?"

He pouted boyishly. "I need nourishment after a sparring session with you. It takes a lot out of me."

"Maybe I should come around more often, just to keep you in shape," she commented as they headed for the door. Luke's heart soared at the suggestion--she wasn't around nearly as much as he wanted her to be, and maybe she missed him when she was gone, too.

"Maybe," he agreed easily, striving for a breezy-casual tone and failing. She glanced his way and smirked, catching his elation.

"Shower," she ordered, pointing a firm finger in the direction of the locker rooms. "I'll meet you in the topcaf in twenty minutes."

"You're the boss," he agreed, and snapped off a sharp salute before heading toward the showers.

---

He woke then, heart pounding steadily against his ribs, shock rippling through him at what his unconscious mind had shown him

_What in all the stars was **that**? _he thought, regaining a hold on reality. It had almost felt like a memory, as if he was recalling the event from another life…but that was crazy. But without access to the Force, Luke knew he couldn't possibly have been having a vision of the future. Suddenly he felt as if he was in a tailspin. He and Mara had teased each other like old friends in his dream…and the elation he'd felt when she'd mentioned coming around more often…

He turned his head to look at her in shock and wonder. Whatever had caused that dream had thrown him through a loop. Was it even possible for them to become friends? Or would she kill him like she kept promising him she would?

He caught sight of her at the edge of the camp, eyes skimming the treeline for any sign of vornskrs. She was wide awake but unaware that he was awake as well, and a sudden thought struck him.

_By the stars, she's beautiful._

The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, in fact, with brilliant red-gold hair and eyes so strikingly emerald they took his breath away. When she wasn't wrapped in her hatred of him, those eyes were truly breathtaking. With her slender body and unconscious grace, long limbs and creamy skin, she was absolutely enchanting.

He quickly shook himself out of that line of thought--she'd kill him for sure if she ever found out what he'd been thinking, and he had no business thinking it in the first place. If anything, the only thing he should be thinking about was how to survive this forest _and_ her.

With a deep breath, Luke rolled on his back and somehow managed to sleep again--this time, much to his relief, without dreams.


	3. Chapter Three

__

First off, let me say WOW! You guys are awesome! I never expected such a positive reaction to such a weird idea, but I'm very, very glad everyone seems to like it. So thank you! I hope that I continue to put out enjoyable material. **My reviewers are the BEST and thanks so much to all of you!**

MaraJadeSywalkerJedi--Ah, the duel scene dream was my favorite part to write. Exploring the different levels of Luke and Mara's relationship is a source of endless amusement for me. I'm glad you liked it!

Elwen--First off, I'm very sorry I disappointed you. You picked right up on what I was most nervous about--I rushed that chapter quite a bit. There was a method to my madness, but I'll strive to take more time on the rest so please don't give up on me! I'm very glad you enjoyed the duel scene, it was a highlight for me, too. Thanks for taking the time to review!

Luvinna--It will definitely start to get different, I promise! I appreciate your compliments. I love going at Mara from a Luke-ish point of view--using his reactions and instincts is really the best way to show how a civil relationship between the two might be fostered. But Mara's not simply going to melt into his arms, I assure you. She's much too stubborn for that. Thank you for your kind well-wishes, and I hope you continue to enjoy both stories.

Nicole--Lots of dialogue was taken, but it was for storyline purposes. Thanks for the review, I hope you continue to like it!

Ariapaige!--I've missed you from Eye! I'm glad to see you! I agree with your point--Luke probably wouldn't choose to meddle with the past, but I think that Mara's death might push him past is normal limits. And he kinda had to for this to be any kind of story. Glad to keep you entertained! And thanks for the kind words.

Terri--I'm excited too! There are so many things I'd love to cover. Feel free at any time to feed me suggestions for desired scenes. I love writing L/M stuff. The dream was my favorite part, too!

Knbnnate and Saiyuki123--I'm so happy to hear you're both enjoying this! Thanks for your reviews!

Keymajade--I always hate writing those short summaries, I'm terrible at it. So I'm glad to hear at least one worked! Hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Drizzt--Thanks! But Mara doesn't remember bits of her past life because this is Luke's chance to start again and fix things. She's not aware of what's going on. And Luke's only clue is the dream that he doesn't really remember. But as their relationship grows, Luke is going to start to share things with her. The story will be different than the books, I promise. I had to get to a part to start a much more original plotline--and that starts here, filling in the gaps in the Thrawn trilogy.

Sithspawn-13--Thank you. You should start noticing differences starting here. Most of the major plot stuff as far as the Thrawn trilogy will follow along the same lines--but there will be differences in Luke and Mara's relationship.

The Ties that **Bond**

chapter three

They had been trekking through Myrkyr's vast forest for two nights and had finally stopped to check for any messages from Karrde on this--their third afternoon of their reluctant adventure.

What Luke had heard of the message in between brief spurts of near-sleep, was that the surprisingly resourceful smuggling chief had constructed a reasonable story for their escape--a disgruntled former employee was making off with some valuable goods and Jade had roared after him in pursuit. See-threepio continued to inform them that there was no mention of whether Jade was male or female, and suggested a role reversal. It was a good idea, but Luke was pretty certain that Mara would be more than a little reluctant to hand him the blaster--and subsequently control of the situation.

He'd drifted out again, momentarily succumbing to slumber--and regretted it when Artoo's squeal jerked him back into wakefulness. He couldn't have been out for long, but it was long enough for a vornskr to tackle his captor and force her to the ground.

The resulting struggle between man and beast had been short but fierce--and it had left a burning line of agony down diagonally across his forehead, cheek and shoulder. Mara was sporting claw marks and a foul spurt of temper--whether it was at being caught off guard, the thought of Luke seeing her vulnerable, or the fact that it was Luke who'd had to save her was unknown, but in any case it was bad for him.

Besides, Luke had some thinking of his own to do. Because while he was absolutely certain he would have done everything in his power to save Mara anyway, he was equally certain that his humanitarianism wasn't all that had spurred his quick response time. He couldn't say for sure what had exactly had made his heart leap into his throat when he saw his beautiful captor pinned under the claws of the vornskr, but it wasn't simple adrenalin. Was it the fact that he could still recall every smile, every word, every laugh from his dream of them on Coruscant? Maybe.

Perhaps not having the Force was having an effect on his judgment and rational thinking.

Yes, that was probably it. With a sigh, he gingerly lifted his fingers to the still-throbbing welt on his cheek. It wouldn't leave a scar like some of his other injuries, but it was going to hurt for a while. Rushing the thing probably hadn't been the smartest idea, but in the heat of the moment…

Of course, he could have lived without her disclosing the information that she had been the Emperor's personal right-hand man--or, in this case, _wo_man--and the chilling realization that the vision he'd had on Degobah should have come true. She should have been on Jabba's sail barge that day. He should have died in the attempt to save Han and Leia. In his reverie, his fingers came a little to close to the stinging welt and shot a bolt of agony through him.

"Sithspit," he snapped under his breath. One more thing that had gone wrong. _My luck had better change soon or I'll be dead._ Then he glanced at Mara and almost groaned aloud. _I'm doomed._

"Something wrong?" Mara asked coolly with an eyebrow arched. It wasn't nice, or even polite. But it was more than he'd gotten from her in an hour.

"No." His fingers dropped to his aching shoulder. "Just thinking out loud."

Her other eyebrow went up as if to say, '_really?'_ He met her gaze head on and tried to stare her down…but as always, he blinked first and turned away.

"How far are we from Hyllyard City now?" he asked, busying himself with Artoo's travois. He could feel her eyes on him and forced himself to stop fidgeting and settle against a tree trunk.

"Within a day," she replied, taking stock of her wounds and sighing. Nothing major, but this trip had already taxed her reserves. Traversing a rather dense forest with more than its fair share of predators was enough of a handful, even for her, but to throw Skywalker into the mix. She shook her head. The glorious days of the Empire had truly passed. Perhaps Karrde had been right--while the Empire appeared to be on the up and up, in the end it was the New Republic who was almost assured the final victory. She expected some sort of emotional backlash from that thought, but to her mild surprise, there was nothing. No surge of rage at the thought of the Rebellion eliminating everything she'd once fought for. No lingering despair at the fact that she'd been run out of the Empire because nobody knew how powerful she truly was. Nothing but old aches and the ever-present desire for revenge, and Skywalker's blood.

Her eyes cut to him again. He'd stopped poking at his face and was securing Artoo to the travois again, ready to go whenever she signaled that they should. He murmured something encouraging to the droid, patted its domed head and chuckled in response to whatever the machine had twittered back.

Wasn't he even the slightest bit worried about his fate?

But no, he simply finished with his astromech and picked up the travois' handles. He turned his eyes to her and nodded, indicating that he was prepared to continue their little journey. She paused, considered pushing onward toward the city, and realized that the vornskr attack had taken more out of her than she'd expected. She shook her head.

"We'll camp here," she said. She waited for annoyance, for a protest, but he merely nodded, again took care of Artoo, and got ready to sleep. With another sigh, she propped herself against a tree trunk and scanned the forest for any signs of danger.

---_the next afternoon_---

Despite the reluctant role reversal and a burst of inspired acting, Luke found himself marching next to Mara and Han in the center of a group of stormtroopers, cuffed and effectively out of ideas. For the moment.

"Well," Han said, sounding so much like he had over five years ago in Jabba's Palace that Luke grinned, "together again, huh?"

"I wouldn't miss it," he replied, grinning wider at their old joke. Whatever trial was in front of them, it was good to have Han with him. The ex-smuggler was more than an asset in battle, and without the Force, Luke was glad to have the backup. No doubt Mara was a quick and capable fighter--she'd already displayed her impeccable aim--but Han wasn't harboring a desire to kill him. "Your friends there seem in a hurry to get away."

"Probably don't want to miss the party. A little something they threw together to celebrate my capture."

Luke threw him a sideways look, then turned his eyes to Mara. Whatever was about to happen, she would need to be prepared. She studiously avoided his gaze, but she was listening carefully, trying to catch the implied meaning behind Han's words.

"Shame we weren't invited," he commented to his brother-in-law, eyes still on Mara.

"Real shame," Han agreed, stone faced. "You never know, though."

---

"_You never know_?" Mara gasped incredulously, eyes taking in the wreckage that had once been a stone arch. Han grinned and shrugged.

"I'm just glad you realized what all the party talk was about," he replied. "'Cuz I wasn't about to stop and explain it to you, Red."

Luke saw Mara's eyes flash at Han's casual nickname, but she didn't say anything. Han had always been the first one to come up with nicknames for everyone. Leia had never been simply Leia--her nicknames ranged from 'Sweetheart' to 'Your worshipfulness.' Luke was usually 'Kid,' with the occasional 'Junior' thrown in to mix it up. Threepio was 'Goldenrod.' And now Mara was 'Red.'

Red. He liked it. Still feeling slightly euphoric after their sketchy narrow-escape, he tossed her a grin. She simply glared at him in return, but he was feeling as good as he ever had after shattering the Beggar's Canyon top record.

But then Karrde was walking toward them, quickly masking an expression of surprised awe at the damage Luke had done, and Luke knew that this particular adventure was over. No more forests, ysalamiri, or vornskrs, no more Mara Jade, just home.

Mara. He looked at her again, watched her pick her way through the rumble, taking stock of the damage, looking for anything useful that she might salvage from the ruins. Even when covered in dust from the crumbled arch, her hair gleamed under the sun, flashing like fire in the light. He couldn't help but feel drawn to her in a way he didn't understand, and he realized with a jolt that, for all her threats and snarled insults, he'd miss her. In a weird way.

As he watched her, she knelt and plucked something out of the ruins, then rubbed it clean against her side. He caught a flash of silver and blinked. His lightsaber--he'd thrown at the last two supports under the arch and had given it up for crushed, but she'd found it. He walked over to her, wondering how she'd managed to spot it. She glanced up as he came to a stop at her side.

"It looks…" He blinked again. "Surprisingly undamaged."

"Lucky break," she agreed, examining it.

"There is no luck," he stated automatically, then laughed in surprise at himself. "I suppose that doesn't apply where the Force is nullified, however."

Her eyes caught his and a flash of unexpected humor glinted there before she could stop it. "Maybe." She traced a finger down the hilt, wiping away a streak of dirt. "This doesn't change anything, Skywalker. I'm still going to kill you."

Luke barely suppressed a long sigh. "I know."

"As long as we're clear." She held the lightsaber out to him, and as he took it, something strange happened to him.

Another memory from a life he wasn't living.

It was late afternoon, and the two of them were standing on the top of a Massassi temple on Yavin IV, overlooking the moon's tangled jungles. Mara, who'd been examining the hilt of Luke's lightsaber, handed it back to him and let out a slow breath.

"Do you think I should make another one? Your old one has always been a little too big for my hands," she commented. Luke's eyes flashed to Mara's slender wrists and graceful fingers, took note of their delicate qualities.

"If you want to," he replied, understanding the practicality of a saber that better suited her smaller hands, but hurt just the same. That saber was a part of him, a part of his family and his past that he'd entrusted to her, his best friend. Mara seemed to pick up on that quiet ache and placed her hand over his.

"Stupid question," she murmured softly, her eyes as emerald as the tree leaves far below them. "I don't want another one. Yours is a part of me now."

His free hand came up to cover hers in silent gratitude. Mara had always understood him better than anyone else. Their bond was incredibly strong--so strong that he felt humbled by its power whenever he stopped to consider it. The Force had weaved the two of them together so closely that he couldn't imagine what his life, his Force sense, would be without her.

There was a long silence then, as Luke savored the moment and Mara struggled with her next words.

"I do want you to train me," she said at last. When his eyes shot up to hers, wide and startled, she smiled a little grimly and shook her head. "I'm not saying I want to start now, or that I'll be an easy student to teach when I am ready, but one day I know I have to finish what we started on Wayland all those years ago."

His fingers tightened over hers. "It would be my greatest honor," he replied humbly, and watched a flush crawl over her cheeks. Amazing. Had he managed to fluster her? The unshakable Mara Jade?

He grinned at her and relished in the smile she threw back at him, reckless and genuine, sweet with a hint of wicked mischievousness. He'd fallen in love with that smile.

Fallen in love.

No. Not with Mara. Maybe with her smile, but he was not in love with her. Their friendship ran too deeply. And his devotion to the Jedi and the reestablishment of their ancient peacekeeping position was unshakable. It was the Jedi Order he was in love with, and the Jedi Order that came first in his life. He had a solemn duty to them first and foremost, and he was a man who believed in duty.

Mara's smile faded as she watched the emotions flicker across his face. Had he imagined that flash of annoyance over their bond? She never did particularly enjoy his company once he'd gone into his 'Jedi Master mode.'

"Hey, ground control to flyboy…wanna join us back here in the present?" she asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. Luke glanced down at her and laughed again.

"Sorry. You know me--I've always been a dreamer."

A tide of reluctant affection from her--she did indeed know him, and was quite familiar with his overactive imagination.

"I know," she replied, and shook her head. "Nothing's ever been able to ground you--not even my death threats."

"And there have been plenty of those over the years," he agreed, chuckling.

"Watch it, Skywalker, or I might retake that vow to kill you."

"You, Mara Jade, are a horrible liar."

"And you, Luke Skywalker, are a horrible, hopeless romantic. Now, let's get downstairs before all those Jedi students of yours eat all the good stuff and leave us with that _stuff_ your cook seems so fond of."

"That stuff wasn't so bad."

"So you say. But you'll eat anything."

Luke grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "Just about."

Mara poked him and then herded him toward the door to the lift he'd installed in the temple. "Move it or lose it, Skywalker--this time I'm hungry."

---

With a jolt, Luke came back into the present. Mara, who'd been watching his face closely, had her eyes narrowed. His pulse was throbbing again, he could feel it, and as he stared into Mara's jewel-green eyes, he realized that he _wanted_ the relationship he'd seen in his 'memories.' That Mara was funny, wry, dependable and openly friendly. This Mara was cool, sarcastic and cruel at every opportunity.

"Something wrong, Skywalker?" she asked, a quiet aloofness in her tone. He stared at her for another long moment, then tore his gaze away. The warmth he'd seen in her eyes during his visions was definitely absent from this woman's eyes.

"Nothing. Sorry." He took back his lightsaber and scrambled away from her across the rumble, heading for Han's side. When the time came, he couldn't bring himself to say goodbye. And neither did she.

**__**

--Note: I promise Eye of the Beholder will be updated soon. I've had a lot of plot review to do and I've made some changes to my previous ideas, but DO keep an eye out for it very soon! Thanks! --lauro


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